Skaters take final turns around Monterey ice arena

Sixteen-year-old Kyle Swanson of Prunedale had one hope before watching his buddy Stewart Haller, 17 of Salinas, take the ice Sunday for the final day of Ice Skating by the Bay in Custom House Plaza in Monterey.

"I want to see him fall," Swanson said with a laugh. "Just kidding."

As the two Palma High School juniors, joined by their friend Chanelle Mariano, 16 of Marina, laced up their skates for one last hurrah before returning to class on Tuesday, it was Haller who had the last laugh.

Upon entering the rink, Swanson promptly lost his footing and fell from sight behind the 3-foot high retaining wall.

Swanson and his friends were among the many who took to the chilly artificial winter wonderland for a final skate on the rink's last day.

Kelly Stevenson, rink manager, had no projections on how many skaters visited the rink. She said plenty came by on Sunday to say their good-byes.

"I was just saying good-bye to some kids who purchased season passes," said Stevenson, 24 of Florida. "Some of them are trying to stay until we close completely tonight."

At about 6 p.m. on Sunday, Stevenson said there were about 50 skaters braving the icy chill. An overnight storm had left the ice extra wet and slushy, making conditions a bit slick.

Huang Jin Sohn of Pacific Grove brought her daughters, Hannah Yun, 8, and Yoona Yun, 5, for their third visit of the final weekend.

Sohn said the conditions had her somewhat worried.

"It's too watery out there. There's a lot of water on it. My daughter said the surface is also bumpy," said Sohn.

That didn't stop young Hannah from convincing her mother to bring her out for the rink's final day.

"If we had known about this sooner, we would have purchased a season pass," Sohn said.

Huerta's daughter, Hope, and best friend, Jordan, both 9, were eager to skate.

Harris said the best part of the rink was the opportunity of "Watching nine-year-olds be nine-year olds. I like watching them push the envelope and falling and laughing, because that's what nine-year-olds do."

For high school sweethearts Logan Hart, 17, and Daniela Coatu, 15, both of Pacific Grove, the rink was a chance to steal some romantic quality time before school starts on Tuesday.

The couple slid around holding hands and giggling throughout the afternoon. Grey skies could not dampen their loving mood.

Coatu, a sophomore at Pacific Grove High School, said the rink provides Peninsula residents a chance to experience winter recreation in an area that gets no ice or snow.

"It's nice because they have the lights and play the music," said Coatu, referring to the public address system that blasted, among other songs, the popular "Gangnam Style" by Korean pop singer PSY. "It means something. You can tell people 'I've been ice skating,' and they might go 'On real ice?' and you say 'No,' but it's still cool."

For Hart, the ice skating provided a flashback to the old Del Monte Gardens roller skating rink he frequented as a child. The rink was destroyed in early 2012.

"Since we can't ice skate because of the weather, this is kind of going back to that experience of the old skating rink," said Hart. "It's nice."